New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during a media availability after visiting victims of an earlier subway shooting at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 12, 2022. (Marc A. Hermann/MTA/CC BY 2.0)
(The Center Square) — Millions of New Yorkers will be getting utility "rebate" checks under a $1 billion program meant to offset the impact of rising energy costs, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday.
Hochul said that under the one-time rebates, which will be mailed beginning Sept. 21, more than 8.2 million households will receive checks of up to $200 to help temporarily offset the rising costs of gas, home heating fuel, and other energy sources.
The two-term Democrat, who is seeking reelection in November, said the move will provide some temporary relief for New Yorkers, and blamed "Washington Republicans" for backing President Donald Trump's tariffs and the war in Iran that have driven up energy costs.
"Too many families are struggling with rising household energy bills and soaring gas prices at the pump — and that's why we're putting money directly back in New Yorkers' pockets by sending energy rebate checks to millions of families as part of our affordability agenda," she said.
Under the plan, single taxpayers who earn up to $150,000 per year would receive a one-time payment of $200, while joint filers earning up to $300,000 per year would receive a payment of $150, according to the Hochul administration. Single filers with incomes under $150,000 will get a check for $100, the administration said.
To be eligible, New Yorkers need to have filed a tax return in the previous year, been a full-time resident in the previous year and not claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return.
Hochul said funding for the plan comes from excess sales tax collections, which she said have exceeded historical averages.
The funding was approved as part of a $254 billion state budget signed by Hochul in May after months of behind-the-scenes negotiations with Democratic legislative leaders.
Hochul boasted that her "money in your pockets" campaign has delivered more than $7.6 billion in supplemental payments, tax relief and rebates, as well as expanding access to child care assistance and paid leave for families and pregnant women.
Consumer advocates say New York's high energy costs have made it harder for people to keep their homes heated, and the lights turned on. A poll released in April by The Business Council of New York State found a majority of New York voters say their electricity bills are unreasonable — with nearly 70% worried that clean energy mandates will drive those costs even higher.
A recent study by the Empire Center for Public Policy said New York's electricity rates are the fourth highest in the nation, and suggested that the state's clean energy policies are driving up those costs.
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